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#60: What Does It Take?

Dear League Leaders,

League members come and go. Here’s what it takes to win and keep your League members:

1. Accessibility. Start by making it easy for your League members to participate. Accessibility includes such things as ample parking, responding to e-mail the day it is received, and a website that is clear and easy to navigate. It means you use language that is straightforward and readily understood by all. If you have diverse League members, it means translating your materials into simple non League-ese.

How easy is it for your League members to participate?

2. Availability. Have a place or person that your League members can go to get information. This could be a website, a person on call, or a helpful message on your phone system. Nowadays, people seek information 24/7 — make sure that they can get what they need when they need it.

3. Affability. Everyone wants to do business with nice, pleasant people. Seems simple, right? But sometimes the simplest things can be the hardest to accomplish. Having to deal with the realities of life like traffic, arguments, or just not feeling well, can sometimes make being pleasant seem impossible. Even so, making a point of warmly greeting your League members on the phone or in person can have an amazing impact on the success of your League. Affability is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone should greet League members warmly. This will help ensure your League members get the welcoming, positive experience they deserve.

How are you showing your League members that you are a warm and pleasant person?

4. Agreeability. Do you defer to policies and procedures? Do you really think that a “No” feels better when your League members hear, “Sorry, it’s our policy.”? Obviously you can’t say “Yes” every time a League member asks for something. So how do you know when to say “Yes” without it becoming a problem? Put it through a very simple filter: If it isn’t illegal, immoral or unethical, then say “Yes”.Even when you can’t say “Yes”, don’t say “No.” Instead, stop, take a breath, and say, “Let me see hat I can do.” Then do something. Find a way to solve the problem — be creative, show the League member that you are doing everything possible to accommodate them. When you say “Yes!” you are showing your League members that you value them and that you care about their best interests.

5. Accountability. If there is a problem, be the one who gets it resolved, even if you didn’t create the problem. See a problem through until it’s resolved. When other people need to be involved, you still need to follow-up to make sure that the problem was resolved successfully.

Do you follow through until your League members issues are resolved?

6. Adaptability. Your League members’ desires are constantly changing. Make sure that you keep up. Adaptability is essential. Don’t just wait for their requests. Seek them out and talk to them, ask them about their experience of being in League. What do they like? What do they dislike?

What do you do to adapt to your League member's needs?

7. Ability. It might seem strange that ability comes last on the list. If you do all the things described above successfully, League members will be far more willing to accept that you are not perfect. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to strive for continuous improvement.

Your League members are more knowledgeable. The Internet has made it easy for them to gain knowledge. You need to do at least as much research as they do.

Focusing on what is important to your League membersby will help you create League members or life.